Seneca College RED 2019 - 35

Cosmetic Chemists
Encouraging a
new generation
p. 37

CIBC
Helping to
remove barriers
p. 38

Award honours faculty who supported him

GIVING
BACK

PHOTO: JOANNE RATAJCZAK

Solomon Hsu
thanks his mentors

THERE ARE ALMOST AS MANY REASONS to support
Seneca as there are alumni, and many of
those reasons are personal.
Pre-Media and Creative Advertising alumnus, Solomon Hsu, established his award
in honour of four professors, Anthony Kalamut, Suzanne Price, Mark Reale and the late
Peter De Souza - each made a deep and
lasting impression on him while at Seneca.
Hsu discovered Seneca during a time
of uncertainty in his life. As a chemical
physics student at the University of Toronto,
he felt lost without a clear picture of his
career path.
"I really saw myself as a journalist. I was
drawn to the storytelling aspect and sharing these stories with people," recalls Hsu.
Having taken a few media courses
while at U of T, he craved a more handson approach. He decided to pursue his passion and enrolled in the Media & Communications Fundamentals program at Seneca

Suzanne Price
and Solomon Hsu

where he met Program Co-ordinator
Suzanne Price.
"Joining her program was one of my
most life-changing decisions."
Throughout his academic journey, each
professor would impact his life in different
ways by providing pivotal guidance,
pushing him to think critically, investing
their time, expertise and in some cases,
even their own money in his fledging web
consultancy firm to ensure his success.
"Anthony has a really big heart, Suzanne
is so warm and caring and Mark is like a big
brother who is always available whenever
I encounter challenges and need guidance
in dealing with different clients. Peter was

probably the sharpest and edgiest professor
I've known. I would still consider them
as my mentors," Hsu says.
Now a successful freelance web
developer, having recently wrapped up a
contract with the Ontario Ministry of Education, Hsu wanted to recognize their commitment by creating the Re-Forward Award
hoping to have the same positive impact
on a media student that they had on him.
"I thought if I just eat out one less
time each week, I can actually support a
student. Being in a similar situation before,
I know what [this support] means to a
student. I see it as an investment just like
they invested in me."
RED

2019

Seneca College RED 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Seneca College RED 2019